Following the 2018 World Cup – in which El Tri failed to make the quarterfinals for the seventh straight tournament – the Mexico national team let the contract of Juan Carlos Osorio expire and embarked on a coaching search.
That exploration took Mexico north to the United States. Specifically, it took them to Atlanta, Georgia, where Atlanta United FC was powering its way to the top of Major League Soccer and shattering attendance records in just its second year of existence. The architect of the Five Stripes’ success that season – which ended with Atlanta winning the MLS Cup on its home turf – was Gerardo “Tata” Martino.
